# Method Fest Independent Film Festival

The Method Fest Independent Film Festival is an independent film festival. The Method Fest is the Actor's Film Festival, a festival of discovery, seeking breakout-acting performances of emerging stars and established actors in story-driven independent films. The 13th The Method Fest Independent Festival was held in Beverly Hills, California, in March 2019. The festival is also dedicated to support the work of those who produce, make and work in independent film and to provide educational opportunities in independent filmmaking. The upcoming 14th The Method Fest Independent Film Festival will be held in Beverly Hills at the Fine Arts Theatre from March 20-26, 2020.

## 1999

| Best Feature: | Mud Season; dir. Anthony Hall |
| John Garfield Award for Best Actor: (tie) | Noble Willingham The Corndog Man | Russ DeWees Mud Season |
| Geraldine Page Award for Best Actress: | Linda Shing Mud Season |
| Best Director of a Feature Film: | Richard Schenkman, Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God, Be Back By Five |
| Best Screenplay in a Feature: | Richard Schenkman, Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God, Be Back By Five |
| Maverick Award for Quality in a Low-budget film: | My Brother Jack; dir. Anthony Caldarella |
| Audience Award, Feature: | Do You Wanna Dance |
| Best Actor, Feature Film: | Noble Willingham The Corndog Man |
| Best Supporting Actor, Feature Film: | George Woodard Mud Season |
| Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film: | Daphne Ashbrooke Dumbarton Bridge |
| Festival Director's Maverick Film Award: | Kirk Harris My Sweet Killer | Peter Gerety Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God, Be Back By Five |
| Jury Award for Best Short Film: | The Lonelys; dir. Henry Barrial |
| Best Director, Short Film: | J. Miller Tobin 4 AM Open All Night |
| Audience Award, Short Film: | Creampuff; dir.Jared Seide |
| Best Actor in a Short Film: | Matt Casada The Lonelys |
| Best Actress in a Short Film: | Danna Hansen Every Night and Twice on Sundays |
| The Method Fest Lifetime Achievement Award: | Maximillian Schell |
| The Method Fest Indie Supporter Award: | Karen Black |

## 2000

| Best Feature: | Stanley's Gig |
| John Garfield Award for Best Actor: (tie) | Hill Harper The Visit |
| Geraldine Page Award for Best Actress: | Robin Dearden Last Chance |
| Festival Director's Breakout Filmmaking Award: | The Young Unknowns; dir. Catherine Jelski | Trash; dir. Mark Anthony Galluzzo |
| Best Director, Feature Film: | Bryan Cranston Last Chance |
| Best Screenplay, Feature Film: | Post-Mortem Louis Belanger |
| Maverick Award for Quality in a Low-budget film: | The Stonecutter; dir. Stephen Ericksen |
| Audience Award, Feature Film: | The Visit |
| Audience Award, Short Film: | Mutual Love Life |
| Best Supporting Actor, Feature Film: | Brent Glenen Rollercoaster |
| Best Supporting Actress, Feature Film: | Marla Gibbs The Visit |
| Best Short Film: | Boundaries; dir. Greg Durbin |
| Best Director, Short Film: | J. Miller Tobin 4 AM Open All Night |
| Best Actor in a Short Film: | Allen Garfield Men Named Milo Women Named Greta |
| Best Actress in a Short Film: | Tippi Hedren Mulligans! |

## 2001

| Best Feature: | I'll Wave Back; dir. Jefferson Davis |
| Best Short Film | Egg; dir. Jacques Thelemaque |
| Best Actress: | Romy Rosemont in I'll Wave Back |
| Best Supporting Actor: | Matthew Faber in Hard Luck |
| Best Supporting Actress: | Rusty Schwimmer in I'll Wave Back |
| Breakout Acting Award: | D.W. Warren in Lansdown |
| Maverick Actor Award: | Jon Jacobs in Hard Luck |
| Best Director | I'll Wave Back; dir. Jefferson Davis |
| Best Screenplay | Finder's Fee; Jeff Probst |
| Maverick Film Award: (tie) | Falling Like This; dir. Dani Minnick | Hard Luck; dir. Jack Rubio |
| Festival Director's Breakout Filmmaking Award (tie) | The Restless | Falling Like This |
| Festival Director's Award for Excellence in Acting | Kirk Harris (Hard Luck) | Irina Bjorklund (The Restless) |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | James Earl Jones |

## 2002

| Best Feature: | Sunday; dir. Charles McDougall |
| Best Short Film | 5 Minutes; dir. Larry Pennell |
| Best Actress in a Short: | Falsehood (film) Anne Welles |
| Best Actress in a Feature: | Walk Backwards Laurie Baranyay |
| Best Supporting Actress: | Suspended Lin Shaye |
| Best Director (feature) | Sunday; dir. Charles McDougall |
| Best Writer/Director | Falsehood (film) Kenneth Lui |
| Best Student Film | Falsehood (film); dir. Kenneth Lui |
| Festival Director's Breakout Filmmaking Award (tie) | Killer Me Zachary Hansen |
| Audience Award | Falsehood (film); dir. Kenneth Lui |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Rod Steiger |

## 2019

| Best Feature: | Chained for Life; dir. Aaron Schimberg | |
| Best Short Film: | The Critic; dir. Stella Velon | |
| Best Actress in a Feature: | Tayler Buck in Princess of the Row | |
| Best Actor in a Feature: (tie) | Ethan Hawke in Stockholm | John Rezaj in Albanian Gangster |
| Break Out Acting Award in a Feature: | Edi Gathegi in Princess of the Row | |
| Best Director Feature: | Windows on the World Michael D. Olmos | |
| Best Supporting Actor in a Feature: | Edward James Olmos in Windows on the World | |
| Best Supporting Actress in a Feature: | Allison Tolman in Speed of Life | |
| Best Screenplay Feature: | Windows on the World; Robert Mailer Anderson and Zack Anderson | |
| Best Actress in a Short: | Kirstin Anderson in S_15 | |
| Best Actor in a Short: | Stéphane Monpetit in Without Saying Goodbye | |
| Best Director Short: | Mixed Signals Tracie Laymon | |
| Audience Award Feature: | Princess of the Row; dir. Max Carlson | |
| Audience Award Short Film: | The Rat; dir. Carlen May-Mann | |
| Generations of Cinematic Excellence Award: | Edward James Olmos and Michael D. Olmos | |
| The Festival Director Award for an Outstanding Performance: | Jon Jacobs in Lost Angelas | |
| Maverick Award for Quality in Low-Budget Feature: | A Room Full of Nothing; dir. Elena Weinberg and Duncan Coe | |
| Best Ensemble Cast: | Confessional; dir. Brad Gottfred | |
| Best Foreign Feature: | Sofia; dir. Meryem Benm'Barek-Aloïsi | |